Jeune Chef Rôtisseur Competition 2016 national final

The national final of the Jeune Chef Rôtisseur Competition, organized by the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs and chaired by the chef Guillaume Gomez took place on Saturday March 19 2016 at Le Cordon Bleu Paris institute. This competition is a real springboard for up and coming Chefs. A stepping stone to reach the hotly contested international final that will take place in Manchester, in the United Kingdom, on September 30, 2016.

Just as in past competitions, the contestants has gone head to head as they made three dishes on the theme of Bretagne: a starter, a main course and a dessert in the space of four hours. 

Éric Briffard, One of the Best Craftsmen in France (Un des Meilleurs Ouvriers de France - MOF), Le Cordon Bleu Executive Chef and Culinary Arts Director, and winner of this very same competition in 1981; Le Cordon Bleu Paris Chef Kaye Baudinette and Le Cordon Bleu Paris Chef Instructor Franck Poupard, will be members of the tasting and technical jury along with other prestigious personalities from the world of gastronomy.

The four finalists who had participate to the national final of the Concours du Jeune Chef Rôtisseur 2016 are :

• Corentin Leduc, restaurant La Laiterie (59130 Lambersart)
• Kevin Bigot, Hotel du Palais (64200 Biarritz)
• Stanislas Triboulet, Uptown (75016 Paris)
• Steven Wattellier, Intercontinental Paris (77340 Pontault-combault)

Steven Wattellier, who works for Chef Christophe Raoux (Meilleur Ouvrier de France 2015) at the InterContentinal Paris le Grand hotel, won the national final of the 2016 edition of the Young Chef Rôtisseur Competition. For this occasion, Steven Wattellier prepared the following menu:

• Celery remoulade with andouille and tarragon, soft boiled egg breaded in parsley
• Janze roasted chicked with tarragon, buttered cabbages and salsifies
• Poached pear with chocolate and almonds

The tasting jury was made up of:

• Éric Briffard,One of the Best Craftsmen in France (Un des Meilleurs Ouvriers de France - MOF), Le Cordon Bleu Paris Executive Chef and Culinary Arts Director
• Jean-François Girardin, One of the Best Craftsmen in France (Un des Meilleurs Ouvriers de France - MOF), first Vice-President of the Société Nationale des Meilleurs Ouvriers de France (National Society of One of the Best Craftsmen in France)
• Nicolas Sale, Executive Chef and Director of all the kitchens at the Ritz – Paris
• Éric Duquenne, Executive Chef of Mon Paris, co-founder of the “Cuisiniers de la République”
• Cyril Horcholle, Partnership Manager - Coup de Pâtes
• Jean-Christophe Girard, Maître Rôtisseur, Gastronomy Consultant 

And the technical jury of:

• Fabrice Prochasson, One of the Best Craftsmen in France (Un des Meilleurs Ouvriers de France - MOF), President of the Académie Culinaire de France and President of the technical jury 
• Jean-Marc Tachet, One of the Best Craftsmen in France (Un des Meilleurs Ouvriers de France - MOF), Chef at JMT Créations

It was in 1248, under the reign of Saint-Louis, that the Corporation des Rôtisseurs was founded. The rôtisseurs had the privilege of being allowed to roast geese. From 1950, the Corporation des Rôtisseurs was restructured, becoming the Confrérie de La Chaîne de Rôtisseurs that we know today. It has developed throughout the world ever since and today counts more than 30 000 members around the globe.

Le Cordon Bleu has been a member of this organisation for more than 25 years. It organizes the national finals of the Jeune Chef Rôtisseur competitions in its institutes around the world and awards a substantial scholarship to the winner of the International Competition.